Plus: Cybercriminals stole a record-breaking fortune from US residents and businesses in 2024, and Google performs its final flip-flop in its yearslong quest to kill tracking cookies.
Following a brief delay stemming from the Trump administration’s on-again, off-again tariff policy, Nintendo officially opened up preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2. As expected, the initial rollout process at Walmart, Best Buy, and other retailers on April 24th was an absolute mess — and GameStop didn’t fare much better later in the week.
As of right now, none of the aforementioned retailers are accepting reservations for the $449 gaming console ahead of its release on June 5th. Nintendo is still accepting sign-ups for those looking to secure a Switch 2, though, if you do go that route, be aware that there are strict requirements. Nintendo also can’t guarantee an invite ahead of launch due to “the very high demand” for the console. Surprising, I know.
We don’t know when the next Switch 2 preorders will open up, at least at traditional US retailers. Additional preorder inventory has popped up intermittently at Walmart and GameStop in recent days; however, so far, none of the major retailers have announced when they will resume accepting preorders, if at all. That being said, if you’re trying to secure a Switch 2, we suggest keeping an eye on the retailers below and taking a few steps to ensure you’re set up for success if they re-open.
At launch, the Nintendo Switch 2 will be available in two distinct configurations: a $449.99 standard version and a $499.99 bundle that includes the latest Mario Kart title, Mario Kart World. Nintendo is on record saying the bundle will only be available through fall 2025 (or while supplies last), which is a shame, considering picking up the console / game combo saves you $30 on what is easily the Switch 2’s biggest launch title. If you don’t manage to secure the bundle, you’ll have to pick up Mario Kart World separately for a whopping $79.
It’s also worth noting that prices could change down the line. Nintendo recently raised the price of the Switch 2 Joy-Cons and the Switch 2 Pro Controller in response to tariffs, and has said that “other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions.” The starting price of the Nintendo Switch 2 remains unchanged, but at this point, it feels like the only way to guarantee a console at $449.99 is to purchase one at launch.
A few essentials tips to keep in mind
If the initial preorder launch of the Switch 2 is any indication, retailers are woefully under-equipped to handle the massive influx of interest in console preorders. Inventory for the Switch 2 seems to be limited despite the fact Nintendo supposedly had time to build up an inventory of the next-gen system “on a global basis.” That being the case, we suggest taking a few steps to set yourself up for success ahead of when preorders drop next.
We’ll continue to do our best to let you know which retailers have inventory as we approach June 5th, but in the meantime, we’ve rounded up a few helpful tips that should help you improve your chances.
Create accounts for every retailer
First things first: create accounts at Walmart, GameStop, Best Buy, and other retailers if you haven’t done so already. Both Best Buy and Walmart implemented a queue system when taking Switch 2 preorders in an effort to deter scalpers — a tactic also employed during the rollout of the PlayStation 5. That’s why it’s in your best interest to ensure your account is set up with the appropriate credentials. Confirm your location and delivery info, get your payment details in order, and log in to your account prior to making your purchase.
… most retailers won’t hold your console while you’re in the checkout line
Setting up and verifying this information in advance will help streamline the checkout process, thus allowing you to save precious seconds. This is crucial, given most retailers won’t hold your console while you’re in the checkout line.
Download the mobile apps
If you own a smartphone, we recommend downloading — and logging into — the respective retailer apps for Walmart, Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy, and Target. In the past, we’ve found that the dedicated mobile apps for various retailers are faster than using a traditional browser; they also provide an additional means of procuring a console, thus increasing your chances of securing a Switch 2 at launch.
Sign up for retailer notifications
A couple of retailers, specifically Best Buy and GameStop, allow you to sign up for preorder updates regarding the Nintendo Switch 2, games, and accessories. So far, neither retailer has divulged much beyond what is available on their retail sites; however, they do serve as yet another opportunity to stay informed regarding how each retailer plans to handle the Switch 2 rollout going forward.
Skip the accessories
Nintendo will have a raft of new accessories available for the Switch 2 at launch, including a Switch 2 Pro Controller, carrying cases, and even a camera accessory for video chats. And while it might be tempting to stack your cart with add-ons, preordering Nintendo’s first-party peripherals takes time that’s better spent on securing a console. Plus, accessory preorders don’t typically sell out nearly as fast as consoles, meaning you can always circle back for extras at Walmart, Best Buy, and other retailers once you’ve managed to reserve your Switch 2.
Try your local brick-and-mortar store
This might come as a surprise in 2025, but preorders aren’t only available online. A handful of retailers, including Best Buy and GameStop, opened in-store preorders for the Switch 2 shortly following their online release. Each store has only been allocated a handful of launch units — the GameStop location our own Ash Parrish visited had been allotted 44 bundles and 19 regular Switch 2 consoles — so it can’t hurt to ask the folks at the store nearest you if they’re still accepting preorders. The chances are slim, sure, but who knows? You might get lucky.
Follow us (and others)
As you might expect, we’ll be closely monitoring Switch 2 inventory over the next month or so — or longer if it remains unavailable following its release on June 5th. Bookmark our main deals hub, and if you haven’t already, subscribe to our Verge Dealsnewsletter! We’ll be sending special alerts as preorders become available; it’s also a great way to stay in the know regarding the latest deals and discounts, all of which come from a Verge staffer.
A number of other social media accounts — including Wario64, IGN, and Matt Swider of The Shortcut — are likely going to be tracking preorder inventory for the foreseeable future as well, if you’re looking for additional publications / users to follow in the run-up to the Switch 2 launch.
Where can I preorder the Switch 2?
Right now, the only confirmed retailers for the Nintendo Switch 2 are Walmart, GameStop, Best Buy, Target, Newegg, and Sam’s Club. We anticipate Amazon opening preorders at some point, but based on previous console launches, the rollout at Amazon is likely to be sporadic and unpredictable. Either way, we’ll update this post accordingly if Amazon and other retailers begin offering preorders.
My Nintendo Store
Unsurprisingly, one of the few confirmed retailers is the My Nintendo Store, which comes with a string of eligibility requirements — one of which requires you to register your interest in advance. To do so, you’ll need to sign in with your Nintendo account and select the console configuration you prefer, along with any desired accessories. Then, you’ll receive an invitation email when it’s time to buy it, assuming you’ve satisfied several other conditions.
Currently, the reservation process is limited to Nintendo account holders in the US and Canada who are at least 18 years of age. Invitations will be valid for 72 hours and will be “prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis,” according to Nintendo; you’ll also need to have purchased a Nintendo Switch Online membership for a minimum of 12 months and have logged 50 hours of gameplay on the original Switch as of April 2nd, 2025, to be eligible. What’s more, you must have opted in to share gameplay data with Nintendo (you can see if you’ve done so in the privacy section when logged into your account).
Console and accessory purchases will be limited to one per eligible account …
Once invitations have been sent to account holders who have met these criteria, Nintendo says it will send invitations to “remaining eligible registrants” on a first-come, first-served basis. The invitations will be nontransferable and sent to the email address you provided while registering your interest with Nintendo. Console and accessory purchases will be limited to one per eligible account, at least during the initial invitation period, which will begin with the first batch of invitations on May 8th.
Additional invitations will follow periodically, though Nintendo hasn’t specified details beyond that. However, in a recent update to its site, Nintendo specified that, due to “the very high demand” for the console, “delivery by June 5 is not guaranteed” and that “your invitation email may arrive after the Nintendo Switch 2 launch.”
Walmart
Walmart is no longer accepting preorders for the standalone Switch 2 ($449) or the Mario Kart World bundle ($499), though you can still preorder games like Donkey Kong Bananza ($69) and accessories like the Switch 2 Carrying Case & Screen Protector ($39.88). That being said, Walmart’s website still indicates that, if you manage to preorder a console before 8AM ET on June 4th, you should receive it before 9AM ET on June 5th.
GameStop
GameStop currently isn’t accepting preorders for the standalone console or the Mario Kart World bundle. If you’re looking to bring the cost down in the future, though, it offers up to $175 off a Switch 2 when you trade in a Switch OLED, or up to $125 off when you trade in a regular Switch. In both instances, you’ll need everything that came with your console — specifically the Switch, its dock, two working Joy-Con controllers (with wrist straps), an HDMI cable, and a power cord. GameStop also confirmed to Gizmodo that the exact valuation will depend on the condition of your console, including whether your Joy-Cons are experiencing the dreaded stick drift.
Best Buy
Best Buy isn’t accepting online preorders for the standalone console or the Mario Kart World bundle right now, but if you do manage to reserve a console through Best Buy, the retailer has announced that most stores in the US will open at 12AM ET, 11PM CT, 10PM MT, and 9PM PT on June 5th for preorder pickup.
Additionally, if you’re a My Best Buy Plus or Total member, you can currently score $20 in credit for every $150 you spend (up to $100) on Nintendo games and gear (excluding all Switch and Switch 2 hardware). That privilege will run you at least $49.99 a year, though both membership tiers also grant you access to a number of exclusive perks, including limited-time discounts and free two-day shipping.
As far as we know, neither Newegg nor Sam’s Club opened preorders on April 24th. However, Newegg has published a landing page for both the standalone console and the Mario Kart World bundle, indicating it will have Switch 2 stock at some point. The same applies to Sam’s Club, which currently has a retail listing for the bundle. You’ll need a Club membership ($50 a year) to take advantage of the latter; however, given Sam’s Club requires you to sign up for a premium subscription to shop, you might have better luck when preorders do open.
Update, April 26th: Updated to include the latest information on Switch 2 preorders, along with several additional tips for securing Nintendo’s newest console at launch.
One of the most frustrating realities about modern technology products is that while so many of them can get exciting new features via the internet, they can lose them just as easily. That happened to owners of Nixplay smart digital photo frames this week when they were hit with a previously announced update the company said would “remove premium features and reduce limits,” including dropping cloud photo and video storage to just 500MB.
Nixplay has offered free cloud storage for a long time — here’s a 2016 PCMag review that mentions an 8-inch frame that came with 10GB of space for no extra charge. In addition to losing higher storage limits, the company has also nixed the previously free ability to sync a single Google Photos album. The company’s announcement said that those whose existing free accounts already exceed the new 500MB limit would see some content “restricted from sharing or viewing on a frame without editing your content or upgrading your subscription.”
People on the Nixplay subreddit aren’t happy about the change, with posts complaining about the changes affecting existing customers rather than only new ones or calling it a scam. One user’s begrudging post says they’ll subscribe, but that they’re only doing so because they’ve accrued “a few thousand photos in the cloud” and don’t want to teach their partner, who hates computers, how to use a new app.
Nixplay’s paid subscriptions cost either $19.99 a year for 100GB of photo storage (Nixplay Lite) or $29.99 per year for unlimited photo storage (Nixplay Plus). Both tiers also include the ability to sync with Google Photos, although it’s not clear if that feature works the same as it did before, given a recent change Google made that broke how many digital frames sync with its photos service.
One of the Apple Intelligence features that hasn't been delayed is Visual Intelligence, which uses your iPhone's camera to identify and answer questions on whatever's around you in the world.
It lets you snap a pizza restaurant storefront and find out its opening hours, for example, or point your camera at a plant and find out what it's called and how to care for it. If you've used Google Lens, you'll get the idea.
This isn't available to everyone, though. You have to be using iOS 18.2 on the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 16 Pro Max; iOS 18.3 on the iPhone 16E; or iOS 18.4 on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. You'll also need to have Apple Intelligence turned on, via Apple Intelligence & Siri in Settings.
How to launch Visual Intelligence
If you have an iPhone 16 with a Camera Control button on the right-hand side, you can tap and hold this button to bring up the camera and Visual Intelligence.
If you've got an iPhone 16E, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max, you've got a few different options to choose from:
You can customize the Action Button to launch Visual Intelligence: Go to Settings, tap Action Button, then swipe left or right to find Vis …
The Chipolo Pop, Pebblebee Clip, and Moto Tag are the three main trackers using Google’s network.
When Google launched its long-awaited Find My Device network in April 2024, it arrived to… well, what's the opposite of "fanfare"? A slow network rollout and damning reviews dampened enthusiasm for what was supposed to be a wave of Android-powered rivals to Apple's AirTag. But a year's a long time in tech, and Google has been promising improvements almost since Find My Device was first switched on. I wanted to know: have things gotten any better?
To find out, I set about testing the latest trackers from the three main companies that make compatible models: Pebblebee, Chipolo, and Motorola. For now Google doesn't make its own Pixel or Nest-branded tracker, and Samsung's SmartTags use its own SmartThings Find network, not Google's. In the name of science, I also got hold of an Apple AirTag and a Tile tracker to serve as reference points for Google's chief competitors.
I found a network that's clearly improved in the year since launch, one that in good conditions - a busy city, a tracker that's not moving - is every bit as good as Apple's and Tile's. It's when tracking gets trickier, in rural settings or with moving tags, that a gap between Google and the competition still opens up …
Testimony this week from Google’s antitrust trial shows that Google gives Samsung an “enormous sum of money” each month to preinstall the Gemini AI app on Samsung devices, reports Bloomberg. Now that Judge Amit Mehta has ruled Google’s search engine is an illegal monopoly, its lawyers are sparring with the DOJ over how severe a potential penalty should be.
Peter Fitzgerald, Google’s vice president of platforms and device partnerships, testified on Monday that Google’s payments to Samsung started in January. That’s after Google was found to have violated antitrust law, partially due to similar arrangements with Apple, Samsung, and other companies for search. When Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 series in January, it also added Gemini as the default AI assistant when long-pressing the power button, with its own Bixby assistant taking a back seat.
The Information reports that today Fitzgerald testified that other companies had pitched Samsung on deals to preinstall their AI assistant apps, including Perplexity and Microsoft. But a DOJ lawyer pointed out that Google’s letters attempting to amend its deal with phone makers, which the company presented at the hearing, were only sent last week, just ahead of the trial. Also, internal slides presented today apparently showed that Google “was considering more restrictive distribution agreements that would have required partners to preinstall Gemini alongside Search and Chrome,” The Information writes.
According to Bloomberg, Fitzgerald said the Gemini deal is a two-year agreement that, along with fixed monthly payments, sees Google giving Samsung a percentage of its subscription revenue for the Gemini app. Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyer David Dahlquist called the fixed monthly payment an “enormous sum,” Bloomberg says. Exactly how enormous isn’t known.
If the DOJ has its way, the results of these hearings could mean Google is forbidden from striking default placement deals in the future, would sell Chrome, and would be forced to license the vast majority of the data that powers Google Search. Google has argued that it should only have to give up the default placement deals.
Correction April 26th: This story previously said Samsung receives a percentage of ads revenue from the Gemini app, as originally reported by Bloomberg. We’ve updated the story to reflect that Google shares Gemini subscription revenue instead.
Wandering through Bionic Bay's dark alien world is unsettling and awe-inspiring. There are massive structures with no clear purpose and autonomous factories filled with whirring saw blades and devastating lasers. It's grim and unforgiving, with little light and harsh shadows that give everything a sinister tone. But then you step on a bomb and your character bounces off of walls like a pinball, and you realize it's a game of contrasts.
Bionic Bay is a curious blend of two very different genres. On the one hand, it's an atmospheric side-scrolling adventure in the mold of Inside and Limbo, filled with disturbingly stunning environments to explore. At the same time, it's a hard-as-nails platformer like Super Meat Boy, with elaborate physics that will have you dying repeatedly while trying to find the best route through deadly obstacles. Somehow, the disparate vibes come together surprisingly well.
What first drew me to Bionic Bay was that dark world. It's mysterious to the point that I still don't actually know what it is you're doing or why. But that mystery is a large part of the appeal. As you make your way through its levels, you're subject to some incredible and intimidating e …
The Kuxiu S2 magnetically attached to the MagSafe-compatible case on my iPhone 15 Pro.
Solid-state batteries are the future. They're more powerful, compact, safe, and sustainable than Lithium-ion alternatives, but true all-solid state batteries can't be mass-produced cost-effectively. That's why Kuxiu has gone semi-solid state for what it calls the "world's safest" power bank, while calling dibs on it being a world first.
Kuxiu's $79.99 S2 Qi2 5000mAh MagSafe Solid-State Power Bank supports Qi2 for 15W wireless charging. And with a 5,000mAh at 3.8V (19Wh) capacity, it holds enough energy to charge the smaller iPhone models from zero to full about once. And despite using the truncated "solid state" in the S2 name and product page, the company confirmed to me that it's built around a semi-solid state battery and that distinction matters.
I've been carrying the Kuxiu S2 for the past few weeks. While I didn't hammer, pierce, or tear the battery apart or expose it to fire like Kuxiu did, I can at least confirm that it otherwise works as expected.
"Solid state" ambiguity
It's not just you, the battery industry itself can't seem to agree on what qualifies as a solid-state battery. There's all-solid state, semi-solid state, and quasi-solid state, to name just a few …
An Nvidia RTX 5090 graphics card. | Photo by Tom Warren/The Verge
Every so often, Central Computers - one of the last remaining dedicated Silicon Valley computer stores - lets subscribers know it's managed to obtain a small shipment of AMD graphics cards. Today, it informed me that I could now purchase a $600 Radeon RX 9070 XT for $850 - a $250 markup.
It's not alone. I just checked every major US retailer and street prices on eBay, and I regret to inform you: the great GPU shortage has returned. Many AMD cards are being marked up $100, $200, $250, even $280. The street price of an Nvidia RTX 5080 is now over $1,500, a full $500 higher than MSRP. And an RTX 5090, the most powerful consumer GPU? You can't even get the $2,000 card for $3,000 today.
Here, I've built tables to show you:
Item
MSRP
Average eBay street price (Mar-Apr)
Best retail price (April 25th)
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
$599
$957
$880
AMD Radeon RX 9070
$549
$761
$835
Nvidia RTX 5090
$1,999
$3,871
$3,140
Nvidia RTX 5080
$999
$1,533
$1,390
Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti
$749
$1,052
$825
Nvidia RTX 5070
$549
$715
$610
"Best retail price" is the actual price I saw a card for on April 25th - roughly the minimum you'd pay.
Donald Trump wants to mine the depths of the ocean for critical minerals ubiquitous in rechargeable batteries, signing an executive order on Thursday to try to expedite mining within US and international waters.
It’s a brash move that critics say could create unknown havoc on sea life and coastal economies, and that bucks international agreements. Talks to develop rules for deep-sea mining are still ongoing through the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a process that missed an initial 2023 deadline and has continued to stymie efforts to start commercially mining the deep sea.
“A dangerous precedent”
“Fast-tracking deep-sea mining by bypassing the ISA’s global regulatory processes would set a dangerous precedent and would be a violation of customary international law,” Duncan Currie, legal adviser for the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition that has advocated for a moratorium on deep sea mining, said in a press statement.
The ISA was established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. More than 160 nations have ratified the convention, but the United States has not. Ignoring the convention, the executive order Trump signed directs federal agencies to expedite the process for issuing licenses to companies seeking to recover minerals “in areas beyond national jurisdiction” in accordance with the 1980 US Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act. A country’s territorial jurisdiction only extends roughly 200 nautical miles from shore.
The Trump administration wants to work with industry “to counter China’s growing influence over seabed mineral resources,” the executive order says. However, no country has yet to commercially mine the deep ocean where depths reach about 656 feet (200 meters) in international waters. There have already been efforts to explore parts of the ocean floor rich in nickel, copper, cobalt, iron, and manganese sought after for rechargeable batteries, though, and China is a leading refiner of many critical minerals.
China responded on Friday: the BBC reported Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun as saying that Trump’s move “violates international law and harms the overall interests of the international community.”
The Metals Company announced in March that the Canadian company had already “met with officials in the White House” and planned to apply for permits under existing US mining code to begin extracting minerals from the high seas.
California-based company Impossible Metals asked the Trump administration earlier this month to auction off mining leases for areas off the coast of American Samoa, which would be within US-controlled waters. Trump’s executive order also directs the Secretary of the Interior to expedite the process for leasing areas for mining within US waters.
Companies seeking to exploit offshore mineral resources argue that it would cause less harm than mining on land. Their opponents contend that there’s still too little research to even understand how widespread the effects of deep sea mining could be on marine ecosystems and the people who depend on them. Recent studies have warned of “irreversible” damage and loud noise affecting sea life, and one controversial study raises questions of whether the deep sea could be an important source of “dark oxygen” for the world.
More than 30 countries — including Palau, Fiji, Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, New Zealand, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — have called for a ban or moratorium on deep-sea mining until international rules are in place to minimize the potential damage.
“The harm caused by deep-sea mining isn’t restricted to the ocean floor: it will impact the entire water column, top to bottom, and everyone and everything relying on it,” Jeff Watters, vice president for external affairs at the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy said in a press release.
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